The residents of Pickaz eagerly await the start of th Pickax Now, a festival celebrating the 150th anniversary of the town's founding. In the midst of preparations for parades and performances, newpaper columist James Qwilleran must make time to entertain Harvey Ledfield, an aspiring architect visiting from out of town. — Qwill welcomes Harve... more »y into his home to sketch, but strange occurences seem to follow Harvey around. Why, for example, did the extraordinary Siamese Koko leap from the balcony onto Harvey,s head while he was drawing Qwill's barn? And why have Harvey's aunt and uncle- residents of nearby Purple Point- not been seen in public since Harvey's arrival?

Soon, Koko's strange behavior is not the only sign of trouble in Pickax. A knitter with psychic powers predicts murder, and a woman makes a weekend trip to Pickax from California to leave a message for Qwill. It's up to Koko to help Qwill piece the clues together.« less